ARCHITECTS TAKE PERSONAL TURN ON OWN HOME DESIGN

Cross the threshold of architect Ron Kluchin's 3,500-square-foot Orange Village contemporary and it's obvious the home is not a typical builder's design.
The details in his self-designed, 15-year-old home tell one story of Mr. Kluchin's life as an architect. He incorporated features only recently promoted as chic in home design: natural oak beams; a built-in entertainment center; commercial piping as railings; a master bed/storage center placed in the center of the room; and soaring ceilings accented with walls of glass.
The layout of the home tells another story of Mr. Kluchin's life as a husband and father of three. He designed the loft overlooking the great room for evolution: from studio to sewing room, then a space for doing homework, and finally back to a computer and sewing room. The dining area connects to a large living space, enabling the family to expand their seating to 16 from six for meals. And he designed the large kitchen as a family gathering center and as a spot for his wife to experiment with gourmet meals.
Mr. Kluchin believes every architect -- even those involved in industrial and commercial architecture -- should design and build his or her own home.
'I think it makes you a much stronger architect,' Mr. Kluchin said. 'It adds to your character and sympathy for your clients.'
But not many architects take up the challenge. Philmore Hart, president of the Cleveland chapter of the American Institute of Architects, estimated that less than 5% of architects take on the challenging task of designing and building their own homes. He said that unless architects preside over their own firm, the cost and time involved in design and follow-through can prove prohibitive.
For those architects who are able to find the time to design their home, the project is worth the effort, Mr. Hart said.
'We believe in ourselves, our way of designing and living,' he said. 'We'd like to put our way of life and our way of designing together in a house for ourselv
es and our family.'
But architects run into the same dilemmas during the process as any client. A trade doesn't show one morning. Someone in the family doesn't like one aspect of the home. Budget guidelines are always on the mind.
Instead, many architects refurbish or remodel homes, rather than building new, to spread the cost and time commitment over many years, Mr. Hart said. They also have a building to live in during design and construction.
'The vast majority (of architects) are living in an older house,' Mr. Hart said. 'You have something to start with. You're buying space when you buy an older house, and you've got detail that's hard to come by today.'
North Olmsted architect Donald Rerko has been remodeling his 160-year-old farmhouse for 10 years. He said he 'basically gutted' the 2,400-square-foot structure and redesigned parts of the interior.
Mr. Rerko kept intact three major architectural details that originally led him to buy the house: 18-inch thick stone walls in the basement; notched and pegged oak framing; and a 7/8-inch oak floor throughout.
He acknowledged that the remodeling has proved to be more expensive than originally planned. But Mr. Rerko spent much of the cost on improving the structural integrity of the house and reworking layout snafus.
'I would tear out a structural support wall, just so things would line up,' Mr. Rerko said. 'I don't think a client would pay for that.'
Architects also wrestle with a question of building supplies vs. their budget as they create or remodel their own home.
'Actually, it's worse (than with clients) because we're exposed to the best of the best,' Mr. Kluchin said. 'Sometimes what I specify for my clients I can't afford.'
But they do tend to splurge here and there. Mr. Rerko installed commercial-grade plumbing fixtures for style and commercial-grade doors for durability. Champagne-colored granite slabs cover Mr. Kluchin's kitchen island and counters. Mr. Kluchi
n's latest project, a kitchen remodeling from modern to French contemporary, sent him to his suppliers for advice on kitchen appliances and fixtures.
Architects serve as objective advisers for their clients on many of the decisions involved in designing or remodeling a home. But who advises the architects when they delve into a project for themselves?
Cleveland architect Paul J. Volpe, president of City Architecture in Cleveland, blasted through his Murray Hill townhome's design in four hours at the office on a Saturday afternoon. His adviser: his wife. From there, 'everybody in the office had an opinion,' Mr. Volpe said.
The home, currently under construction in Cleveland's Murray Hill neighborhood, features a gallery-type center hallway, a lovely view of the city, and wall niches for Mr. Volpe's art collection. Because it's his from conception, Mr. Volpe said, it has provided an opportunity to reflect on his personal life and his life as an architect.
'It's anticipating our life looking forward and backward,' Mr. Volpe said. 'In designing my own home, it's an opportunity for all that to be channeled.'
Mr. Kluchin said he designed his home over one weekend. Construction began within 60 days, and the home was finished five months later. He worked with speed so as not to overwhelm his builder and himself with a lot of changes.
'If you ponder every one of them -- like an architect can do -- you're dead,' he said with a laugh.
Mr. Hart said feedback originates from the architects themselves.
'He has to go back inside himself,' Mr. Hart said. 'It's a real self-examination. It's almost psychotherapy on yourself and how you want to live.'
As architects, these designers also walk a fine line between creating a livable home and pushing the envelope of design principles.
Mr. Volpe's townhome is one of nine lining Edgehill Drive overlooking Murray Hill. He became involved in the project as a designer. As plans evolved, the convergence of downt
own living, the site's beautiful views and the vitality of nearby Little Italy lured him into incorporating his own home into the project.
'I said I have to have one of these,' he said. 'Then it became personal.'
The homes he designed became three-story beacons of architectural modernism, with greenhouses atop, vast windows throughout and personal style incorporated for Mr. Volpe and each of the other homeowners.
But Mr. Volpe said he has traditional goals on the project.
'I'm not interested in trends,' he said. 'I'm not interested in 'different.' I'm interested in good, sustainable architecture. I want something that's going to look better in 100 years.'
Creativity started to flow from the other owners of the $300,000-plus homes after Mr. Volpe reviewed his own space with them.
'We as the architects cause those homeowners to take the risks,' he said. 'I couldn't design a fabulous house for myself and have eight mediocre things next to it. I hope it sets a new standard in Cleveland. I hope people see it and say 'Gee, we could build that.''